Angela and Kelly go full librarian this week, talking about how libraries choose what books to put on the shelves–and what has to go. Ever wonder who gets to pick which manga/graphic novels your library carries? (Spoiler: it’s us). Frustrated that a library got rid of your favorite series? (Guilty). We talk about budget and space constraints, out of print titles, the challenge balancing old and new, the siren call of nostalgia, and why we sometimes remove books you loved (sorry, Fushigi Yugi). Learn the darkest secrets of the library!

We all love some kind of fiction with elements that might be considered, well, problematic. Age-gap romances, dubious consent, uncomfortable tropes and outdated stereotypes, sexual objectification, an author with bad behavior or objectionable views—you name it, it’s in one of our favorite books or shows. Kelly and Angela talk about liking things we feel pressure to censure in spite of ourselves, from Devilman Crybaby and the infamous Land of the Lustrous Tumblr post to Lois Lane, Rawhide Kid, and beloved 90s books like Ender’s Game and Rurouni Kenshin.

Mentioned on this pod:DEVILMAN crybabyYowamushi Pedal by Wataru WatanabeHaikyu!! by Haruichi FurudateYozakura QuartetLand of the Lustrous by Haruko IchikawaBanana Fish by Akimi YoshidaKill La KillThe Rawhide KidSuperman’s Girlfriend Lois LaneHammers on Bone by Cassandra KhawThe Wheel of Time by Robert JordanEnder’s Game by Orson Scott CardAfter the RainCardcaptor Sakura by CLAMPRurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
…and more

Kelly and Angela don’t know much about romance, so they bring in romance expert Sarah Neeri to help fill in the gaps! How did romance get started and why did it die in America? (hint: Angela’s favorite book!) Get your toast ready, these ladies have the dokidokis!

Angela and Kelly sit down with Anna Cebrian, owner of Illusive Comics & Games in Santa Clara, CA (a 2017 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer nominee) to discuss how she got into the comics industry (not how you’d expect), what it’s like to be a woman in the biz (spoiler: not great), and where comics are heading (or should be) in the future. Plus: Everyone gets a chance to gush about their favorite kids’ books, and Kelly asks what the deal is with comic stores and manga.

Goodbye and good riddance, 2017. Kelly and Angela take one last look at geek culture in 2017, from movies and TV to anime, video games, and trends. We’re talking about The Last Jedi, Stranger Things 2, the new Doctor, Made in Abyss, Fire Emblem Heroes, and how much Kelly cried during Coco. Plus, what we’re looking forward to in 2018: Black Panther, Masaaki Yuasa’s Devilman Crybaby, the rumored Harry Potter AR game, and more. Angela might even admit that she learned something about manga this year!

Kelly and Angela take a look at EXPLICIT CONTENT in comics and manga. Does manga get a bad rap for its sexual and violent content? Is violence always for shock value? Is sexual content always meant to be titillating? If we’re ok with teens having sex in a YA novel, why not in comics for teens?How do we deal with explicit content in the library? Also, did you know Iron Man and Black Widow have a canonical sex tape?